JP6265713B2 - Graphic meter device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device that can be used as a meter unit for displaying vehicle instruments, and more particularly to a graphic meter device capable of graphic display.

  Conventionally, with regard to meter units and the like that display instrumentation for vehicles, analog meters that display information such as vehicle speed and engine speed by physically moving the pointer, and digital that display information by displaying numerical values and characters There is a meter. In some cases, a bar graph is displayed instead of the pointer.

  In recent years, a display panel such as a liquid crystal capable of displaying an arbitrary image, figure, character or the like by combining a large number of pixels has become available at a relatively low cost. For this reason, attempts have been made to realize the display of meters and the like of meter units using various graphic displays.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a vehicle meter unit including a speedometer, a tachometer, and a submeter is realized by graphic display using a screen of a liquid crystal display. For each instrument such as a speedometer to be displayed, a display state similar to the appearance of an analog instrument having a pointer and a dial is represented by an image created using a three-dimensional computer graphics technique. It also obtains the position of the light source outside the vehicle, calculates the incident direction of the extraneous light incident on the screen of the liquid crystal display from the outside, further detects the direction of the driver's line of sight, and enters the direction of the extraneous light and the direction of the line of sight Is reflected in the displayed content.

JP 2010-58633 A

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to reproduce a natural appearance equivalent to a real three-dimensional instrument on a two-dimensional screen with three-dimensional computer graphics, the incident direction of external light and operation Information on the direction of the person's gaze is used. In other words, the shadow, gloss, and reflected light from the instrument due to the three-dimensional shape of the actual instrument are calculated in consideration of the incident direction of extraneous light and the direction of the driver's line of sight. Visible information such as reflected light is also reproduced as a display on the screen.

  By the way, for example, in a general environment where an automobile normally operates, the time in which the direction of travel of the vehicle changes due to a change of course or the like is relatively short, and in most of the time during operation, the vehicle is almost straight. Running. In addition, when the vehicle travels in an environment such as rainy weather, at night, or in a tunnel, the vehicle is hardly affected by external light such as sunlight.

  Therefore, as in Patent Document 1, even if it is reproduced in a natural state such as shadow, gloss, reflected light from the instrument in consideration of the incident direction of the external light, in the straight traveling state that occupies most of the time during normal operation, There is no change in shading, gloss, or reflected light from the instrument. In other words, despite the use of advanced 3D computer graphics technology, this display cannot provide an effective presentation to the driver, and the values that match the functions of the device can be visualized. The driver cannot be felt.

  Also, when the influence of extraneous light is small, especially in rainy weather, at night, in tunnels, etc., it becomes impossible to display shadows, gloss, reflected light from instruments, etc., so 3D computer graphics are used. Even if it is a case, an effective presentation cannot be performed and the external appearance of the instrument can be felt as a flat display. Also, if the display of shadows, gloss, reflected light from an instrument, etc. is emphasized in an environment where the influence of actual external light is small, it will appear unnatural, resulting in a less realistic three-dimensional display.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a graphic meter device capable of visually giving a driver a high-level rendering effect commensurate with an actually mounted display function. Is to provide.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the graphic meter device according to the present invention is characterized by the following (1) to (5).
(1) A graphic meter device in which at least one instrument is drawn on a display screen,
A user detection unit for detecting one or both of the position of the viewpoint for visually recognizing the display screen and the direction of the line of sight;
A display control unit for controlling a display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes according to a change in one or both of the position of the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit and the direction of the line of sight;
With
When the display control unit recognizes that one of the instruments is positioned on the line of sight detected by the user detection unit, the positional relationship in which the front of the instrument and the line of sight are orthogonal to each other so as to rotate the instrument to be drawn on the display screen with respect to the front of the display screen,
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
(2) The graphic meter device according to (1) above,
The display control unit controls the display state so that the instrument to be drawn on the display screen is changed in any one mode of enlargement, reduction, and movement, or a mode in which a plurality of modes are combined.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
(3) The graphic meter device according to (1) above,
The display control unit controls the display state so as to change in a manner of rotating an instrument drawn on the display screen around a predetermined axis.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
(4) A graphic meter device in which at least one instrument is drawn on a display screen,
A user detection unit for detecting one or both of the position of the viewpoint for visually recognizing the display screen and the direction of the line of sight;
A display control unit for controlling a display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes according to a change in one or both of the position of the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit and the direction of the line of sight;
With
When the display control unit recognizes that one of the instruments is positioned on the line of sight detected by the user detection unit, the positional relationship in which the front of the instrument and the line of sight are orthogonal to each other Rotate the instrument to draw on the display screen relative to the front of the display screen,
When the display control unit recognizes that the viewpoint position detected by the user detection unit is away from the instrument, the display screen displays the display screen in a direction away from the viewpoint position. Rotating the instrument to draw on the display screen relative to the front of
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
( 5 ) A graphic meter device having any one of the constitutions (1) to ( 4 ),
When the display control unit recognizes that the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit is close to the display screen, the display control unit controls the display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.

According to the graphic meter device having the above configuration (1), when the position of the viewpoint of the user such as the driver or the direction of the line of sight changes, the display mode of the instrument can be changed in response to the change. In other words, when the user's posture or the like changes, the display contents can be automatically changed to perform a special effect, so that an effect can be given to the user's vision.
In addition, the instrument located in the direction of the line of sight can be automatically rotated and displayed so as to face the front of the user. That is, in a situation where the user gazes at a specific instrument or the like, the direction of the instrument or the like can be directed to the front of the user so as to obtain the best visibility.
According to the graphic meter device having the above configuration (2), enlargement, reduction, or movement processing is performed, so that even if the 3D display cannot be performed or the design is based on 2D display, the user can Visually, the graphic display element can be changed to be emphasized.
According to the graphic meter device having the configuration (3), the display contents change so that the instrument rotates in the three-dimensional space, so that the user can visually feel that the display is three-dimensional. It becomes possible.
According to the graphic meter device having the above configuration ( 4 ), when the viewpoint moves in a direction away from the display screen, that is, when it is highly likely that the state in which the user intends to visually recognize the instrument is finished, the visibility is higher than the visibility. It is possible to automatically change to a display state that places emphasis on performance effects.
According to the graphic meter device having the above configuration ( 5 ), when the viewpoint moves in a direction approaching the display screen, that is, when the possibility that the user is likely to visually recognize the instrument is high, the visibility is best. Thus, the direction and size of the display can be automatically adjusted.

  According to the graphic meter device of the present invention, it is possible to visually give the driver a high-level effect that is commensurate with the display function that is actually installed. In other words, when the user's posture or the like changes, the display contents can be automatically changed to perform a special effect, so that an effect can be given to the user's vision.

  The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through a mode for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as “embodiment”) with reference to the accompanying drawings. .

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating an appearance of the entire display screen of the meter unit according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electric circuit of the meter unit shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the main control contents of the meter unit shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of the gaze direction change correspondence control shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of the viewpoint position change corresponding control shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a specific example of an image taken by an in-vehicle camera. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an outline when the screen of the meter unit is viewed from above, and shows a specific example of state transition of display contents in accordance with changes in viewpoint and line of sight.

  Specific embodiments relating to the graphic meter device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Specific examples of display screen>
In this embodiment, the case where the vehicle meter unit provided with the some instrument and indicator is comprised as a graphic meter apparatus of this invention is assumed. A specific example of the appearance of the entire display screen of this graphic meter device is shown in FIG. The display screen 50 shown in FIG. 1 is the display content on the screen of the liquid crystal display 121 described later. Moreover, the display content of FIG. 1 has shown the example of a display in the steady state which a vehicle can drive | work.

  On the display screen 50 shown in FIG. 1, a speedometer 51, a tachometer 52, a fuel gauge 53, a water temperature gauge 54, a turn L display section 55, a turn R display section 56, an odometer 57, a shift indicator 58, a warning Instruments such as display units 59a and 59b, and decoration images 61 to 65 that decorate these instruments are displayed. Each of these display elements is realized as a graphic display pattern expressed by a set of a large number of display pixels.

  Further, when the meter unit 100 has a 3D drawing function, data of a three-dimensional model having a three-dimensional configuration is prepared in advance for each instrument, and based on the three-dimensional model, a three-dimensional model is prepared. It can be displayed as an image. Specifically, a three-dimensional image arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space is generated based on a calculation based on a three-dimensional model, and the generated three-dimensional image is projected on the two-dimensional coordinates of the display screen. To do. Therefore, although the screen of the meter unit 100 that actually displays an image is a two-dimensional plane, an image that looks stereoscopic can be drawn.

  In addition, assuming the effect when extraneous light coming from a virtual light source placed at a specific position enters a stereoscopic image, the shadow, gloss, reflected light, etc. when viewed from a specific viewpoint are real and Similarly, it can be reproduced and reflected in the display content (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Thereby, the three-dimensional effect close | similar to a real thing is obtained.

  The speedometer 51 is a display unit for displaying the current traveling speed of the vehicle (vehicle speed: km / h). In the present embodiment, a circular instrument display having a pointer and a scale similarly to a general analog instrument. It is displayed as a part. A ring-shaped decorative image 61 is displayed so as to surround the periphery of the speedometer 51.

  The tachometer 52 is a display unit for displaying the rotation speed of the engine (× 1000 rpm). In this embodiment, the tachometer 52 is displayed as a circular instrument display unit having a pointer and a scale similarly to a general analog instrument. is there. A ring-shaped decorative image 62 is displayed so as to surround the circumference of the tachometer 52.

  The fuel meter 53 is a display unit for displaying the remaining amount of fuel of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the fuel meter 53 is displayed as a circular instrument display unit having a pointer and a scale similarly to a general analog instrument. A ring-shaped decorative image 64 is displayed so as to surround the fuel gauge 53.

  The water temperature meter 54 is a display unit for displaying the temperature of the cooling water of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the water temperature meter 54 is displayed as a circular meter display unit having a pointer and a scale similarly to a general analog meter. A ring-shaped decorative image 65 is displayed so as to surround the water temperature gauge 54.

  The turn L display portion 55 is a left-pointing arrow-shaped pattern, and is blinked so as to be interlocked with a direction indicating operation when the vehicle makes a left turn. Moreover, the turn R display part 56 is a right-pointing arrow shape pattern, and is blinked and displayed so as to be interlocked with a direction indicating operation when the vehicle turns right.

  The odometer 57 is disposed in an area inside the speedometer 51, and can display the cumulative travel distance (ODO) and the section distance (TRIP) of the vehicle as numerical values in units of km.

  The shift indicator 58 is arranged in a region inside the tachometer 52, and can display the shift state of the transmission of the vehicle in characters such as P, N, D, 2, 3, and the like.

  The warning display portions 59a and 59b are arranged in regions inside the speedometer 51 and the tachometer 52, respectively. The warning display unit 59a can be used to display a warning regarding lighting of the light. The warning display unit 59b can be used to display a warning regarding seat belt wearing.

  The decoration image 63 is a display pattern that simulates the overall shape of the vehicle, and is arranged at the center of the screen in the display screen 50 shown in FIG. This decorative image 63 can be used to represent the current state of the vehicle.

<Configuration example of meter unit>
A configuration example of the electric circuit of the meter unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the meter unit 100, that is, the graphic meter device includes a microcomputer (CPU) 111, a CPU power source 112, an I / O unit 113, an I / O unit 114, an interface (I / F) 115, a nonvolatile A memory (EEPROM) 116, a graphic controller 118, an LCD power source 119, a liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) 121, an X driver 122, a Y driver 123, and an in-vehicle camera 130.

  The microcomputer 111 executes processing for realizing various functions required for the meter unit 100 by executing a control program prepared in advance. Specifically, the latest vehicle data including vehicle speed, cooling water temperature, fuel remaining amount, engine rotation speed, etc. is collected via the I / O unit 114, necessary calculations are performed, and data to be displayed is displayed. Generate. Then, the obtained information is reflected in the display contents of each display unit on the display screen (50) of the liquid crystal display 121.

  The CPU power supply 112 receives DC power (+ B) supplied from a power circuit on the vehicle side, and generates a stable DC voltage (Vcc) necessary for the circuit of the microcomputer 111 and the like to operate. Further, the CPU power source 112 can generate a reset signal and supply it to the microcomputer 111, or can control the voltage according to a sleep control signal output from the microcomputer 111.

  The I / O unit 113 performs signal processing for converting the ignition signal (IGN +) output from the vehicle side into a voltage that can be input by the microcomputer 111.

  The I / O unit 114 performs signal processing necessary for connecting the microcomputer 111 to a communication network (CAN: Controller Area Network) on the vehicle. The microcomputer 111 has a built-in communication function corresponding to the CAN standard. Therefore, the microcomputer 111 can communicate with various electronic control units (ECU: not shown) on the vehicle via the I / O unit 114 and the communication network on the vehicle. By this communication, for example, vehicle data such as a vehicle speed and an engine rotation speed can be acquired.

  In the present embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 130 is provided to detect the driver's viewpoint and line of sight. Therefore, the in-vehicle camera 130 is disposed on, for example, an instrument panel in the passenger compartment, and the shooting direction is directed to the direction in which the subject including the entire driver's face 141 in the state of sitting in the driver's seat can be shot. Therefore, for example, an image as shown in FIG.

  The interface 115 processes the video signal output from the in-vehicle camera 130 and sequentially generates image data in a predetermined format that can be processed by the microcomputer 111. Note that a special processing function such as image recognition may be mounted on the interface 115 in order to reduce the processing load of the microcomputer 111.

  The non-volatile memory 116 is configured by an EEPROM, and is used to hold various fixed data used by the meter unit 100. Specifically, programs executed by the microcomputer 111 and fixed data such as various constants are written in the nonvolatile memory 116 in advance.

  The liquid crystal display 121 has a two-dimensional array display screen 50 composed of a large number of pixels arranged in the horizontal (X) direction and the vertical (Y) direction. By controlling from the outside, the density (or brightness) and display color of each of the large number of pixels can be switched individually.

  The graphic controller 118 controls the content displayed on the display screen 50 of the liquid crystal display 121. A frame memory 118 a that holds data corresponding to the contents of all the pixels in one frame on the display screen 50 is built in the graphic controller 118. The graphic controller 118 draws data to be displayed on the frame memory 118 a in accordance with a command output from the microcomputer 111. Then, the graphic controller 118 outputs a signal (RGB image data) corresponding to each data on the frame memory 118a to the liquid crystal display 121 in synchronization with the timing of the vertical synchronization signal and the horizontal synchronization signal generated internally. .

  The graphic controller 118 is connected to the liquid crystal display 121 via the X driver 122. The X driver 122 determines the horizontal scanning position in the pixel group of the liquid crystal display 121 in synchronization with the timing of the horizontal synchronization signal output from the graphic controller 118.

  A Y driver 123 is connected to select each row in the Y direction in the pixel group of the liquid crystal display 121 in order (scan in the Y direction). The Y driver 123 sequentially selects each row in the Y direction in synchronization with the timing of the vertical synchronization signal output from the graphic controller 118.

  The LCD power source 119 receives DC power (+ B) supplied from a power circuit on the vehicle side, and generates a stable voltage necessary for the liquid crystal display 121 and a backlight (not shown) to operate.

<Operation of graphic meter device>
<Principle of detection of viewpoint position and gaze direction>
The meter unit 100 that operates as the graphic meter device of the present invention requires a function of detecting at least one of the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction. These functions can be realized by the following principle, for example.

<Viewpoint position detection>
The in-vehicle camera 130 can shoot a subject including the driver's face 141 as shown in FIG. Therefore, a characteristic pattern such as the driver's face 141 can be specified by performing a known pattern recognition process on the image data obtained by photographing by the in-vehicle camera 130. Furthermore, the left and right eyes 141a can be extracted from the area of the driver's face 141, and the positions in the X and Y directions can be specified.

  Therefore, the position of the viewpoint (eye point) in the X and Y directions can be calculated as an intermediate position between the position of the left eye and the position of the right eye, for example. In addition, it is possible to detect changes in the position of the viewpoint in the X and Y directions and the moving direction by repeatedly processing image data that changes over time and tracking the position of the eye in the latest image.

  Further, since the installation position of the in-vehicle camera 130 is fixed, when the driver brings his face close to the screen of the meter unit 100, the size of the driver's face 141 increases in the captured image. Conversely, when the driver moves his face away from the meter unit 100, the size of the driver's face 141 is reduced in the captured image. Therefore, by monitoring the size of a specific area such as the driver's face 141 and identifying the change, the change in the viewpoint position in the direction perpendicular to the screen of the meter unit 100 (Z direction) can also be detected.

<Gaze direction detection>
As described above, after the left and right eyes 141a are extracted from the area of the driver's face 141, the pupil (pupil) and iris at the center of each eye can be further extracted in each eye area. it can. When a human is looking toward the front, the pupil and iris are located at the center of the eye, but when the line of sight is moved, the position of the pupil and iris changes throughout the eye. Therefore, the direction of the line of sight can be specified from the relative positional relationship between the entire eye area and the position of the pupil or iris.

  Further, for example, the position of the nose or mouth is detected in the driver's face 141, and it can be identified whether or not the driver's face 141 is facing the front from the relative positional relationship between these positions and the entire face. . Accordingly, when identifying whether or not the meter on the meter unit 100 is located in the direction of the line of sight, it is possible to make a determination on the assumption that the driver's face 141 is facing the front. .

<Contents of main control>
FIG. 3 shows main control contents in the meter unit 100 shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 4 shows details of the gaze direction change correspondence control shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 shows details of the viewpoint position change correspondence control shown in FIG.

  That is, when the microcomputer 111 shown in FIG. 2 executes the control shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the display of each instrument displayed on the screen of the meter unit 100 with respect to changes in the driver's viewpoint position and line-of-sight direction. Special changes can be made to the state.

  When the power of the meter unit 100 is turned on, the microcomputer 111 performs a predetermined initialization process in step S11. Thereby, the display elements such as the speedometer 51, the tachometer 52, the fuel gauge 53, the water temperature gauge 54, the decoration image 61 to the decoration image 65, and the like shown in FIG. 1 are displayed in a predetermined initial state. Thereafter, the latest vehicle information (traveling speed, engine speed, remaining fuel level, cooling water temperature, etc.) necessary for display is repeatedly collected by a process not shown in the drawing, and this information is used for the position of the pointer of each instrument. It is reflected in.

  In step S <b> 12, the microcomputer 111 acquires the latest image data obtained by photographing with the in-vehicle camera 130. Thereby, for example, image data having contents as shown in FIG. 6 is obtained.

  In step S13, the microcomputer 111 detects the driver's viewpoint position EP using the image data acquired in S12. That is, as described above, the driver's face 141 and the left and right eyes 141a are recognized, and the viewpoint position EP is calculated based on the positions of the left and right eyes 141a. The viewpoint position EP includes coordinates in the X and Y directions and information indicating a change (approach / separation) in the Z direction.

  In step S14, the microcomputer 111 detects the driver's line-of-sight direction DD using the image data acquired in step S12. That is, as described above, the driver recognizes the driver's face 141 and the left and right eyes 141a, further recognizes the pupil or iris inside the eye, and based on the relative positional relationship between the eye 141a and the pupil or iris. The line-of-sight direction DD is specified.

  In step S15, the microcomputer 111 displays the display positions of various instruments (speedometer 51, tachometer 52, fuel gauge 53, water temperature gauge 54, etc.) displayed on the display screen 50, and the line-of-sight direction DD detected in S14. And one meter located closest to the point where the line-of-sight direction DD intersects the display screen 50 is identified as a candidate for the target meter Gx.

  In step S16, the microcomputer 111 identifies whether or not a predetermined change or more has occurred in the line-of-sight direction DD detected in S14. A change can be detected by comparing the results of multiple times of S14. If a change in the line-of-sight direction DD is detected, the process proceeds to S17, and if there is no change in the line-of-sight direction DD, the process proceeds to S19.

  In step S17, the microcomputer 111 identifies whether or not the graphic controller 118 has a predetermined 3D drawing function. If the 3D drawing function is installed, the process proceeds to S18. If only the 2D drawing function is installed, the process proceeds to S19. In other words, in the present embodiment, the “gaze direction change support control” cannot be executed correctly unless the 3D drawing function is installed. Therefore, the process proceeds to S18 only when the 3D drawing function is installed.

  In step S <b> 18, the microcomputer 111 executes a process for appropriately controlling display contents in response to a change in the line-of-sight direction. The details of this process are the contents of FIG. Details will be described later.

  In step S19, the microcomputer 111 identifies whether or not a change of a predetermined value or more has occurred in the viewpoint position EP detected in S13. A change can be detected by comparing the results of the multiple times of S13. If a change in the viewpoint position EP is detected, the process proceeds to S20, and if there is no change, the process returns to S12.

  In step S <b> 20, the microcomputer 111 refers to a predetermined flag, and identifies a state in which the operation of the line-of-sight direction change control is being executed / released. If it has been canceled, the process proceeds to S21, and if it is being executed, the process returns to S12. That is, in the present embodiment, the priority of the former is set higher among the two controls of “gaze direction change correspondence control” and “viewpoint position change correspondence control”, and the latter processing is not executed during the former execution.

  In step S <b> 21, the microcomputer 111 executes a process for appropriately controlling display contents in response to a change in viewpoint position. The details of this process are the contents of FIG. Details will be described later.

<Gaze direction change control>
The contents of the “gaze direction change correspondence control” shown in FIG. 4 will be described below.
In step S31, the microcomputer 111 calculates a positional deviation (distance) ΔDx between a point on the display screen 50 where the current line-of-sight direction DD intersects and the current center position of the measuring instrument Gx.

  In step S32, the microcomputer 111 compares the positional deviation ΔDx calculated in S31 with a predetermined threshold value (upper limit value of distance) to identify whether the positional deviation ΔDx satisfies the condition of the attention measuring instrument Gx. To do. If the positional deviation ΔDx satisfies the condition of the notable instrument Gx, the process proceeds to S33, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to S38.

  In step S <b> 33, the microcomputer 111 sets a predetermined start flag to clearly indicate that the “gaze direction change support control” is being executed. When the start flag is already set, the state is maintained as it is.

  In step S <b> 34, the microcomputer 111 calculates a rotation direction deviation angle ΔDa between the current line-of-sight direction DD and the current direction of the target instrument Gx.

  When the 3D drawing function is used, the image of each instrument drawn on the display screen 50 is a three-dimensional image arranged in a virtual three-dimensional space based on data of a three-dimensional model determined in advance. It is managed as an image, and the result of projecting a three-dimensional image onto two-dimensional coordinates is actually displayed on the display screen 50. Therefore, a three-dimensional image of each instrument can be freely rotated or moved in a three-dimensional space. In S34, a state in which the direction perpendicular to the surface (front surface) of the target instrument Gx and the line-of-sight direction DD coincide with each other as a reference direction, the current direction of the rotation direction of the stereoscopic image of the target instrument Gx, An error from the reference direction is calculated as a deviation angle ΔDa. For example, when the deviation angle ΔDa is 0, the target instrument Gx is arranged in a three-dimensional space as a three-dimensional image in a state in which the attention instrument Gx faces the front of the driver.

  In step S35, the microcomputer 111 compares the rotational direction deviation angle ΔDa calculated in step S34 with a predetermined angle threshold Cd. If the condition of “ΔDa ≦ Cd” is satisfied, the process proceeds to S36, and if the condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to S37.

  Note that the angle threshold Cd may be controlled to change according to the situation. For example, a relatively large value can be assigned to the angle threshold value Cd only immediately after the start flag is set, and the angle threshold value Cd can be switched to a small value after the rotation direction follow-up control is started.

  In step S36, the microcomputer 111 rotates the three-dimensional image corresponding to the target instrument Gx by the shift angle ΔDa with respect to the central axis of the instrument in the three-dimensional virtual space. That is, the image of the target instrument Gx is rotated at that position while the position is fixed in the direction in which the deviation angle ΔDa becomes zero. Thereby, the measuring instrument Gx changes to a state facing the front in the line-of-sight direction.

  In step S37, the microcomputer 111 rotates the direction of the image of the attention measuring instrument Gx as in S36. However, the amount of rotation is made smaller than the deviation angle ΔDa so that a tracking error is intentionally generated. Then, the follow-up error is gradually increased, and the follow-up control is terminated as time elapses.

  In step S <b> 38, the microcomputer 111 clears the start flag in order to clearly indicate that the execution of the “gaze direction change correspondence control” is finished and the operation is released. For example, when the driver intentionally shifts the line of sight from the attention instrument Gx that the driver has been gazing at, the control of FIG. 4 for the attention instrument Gx is terminated and the start flag is cleared and the state is displayed. Is specified.

  In the control shown in FIG. 4, the attention instrument Gx located in the line-of-sight direction DD is oriented in a three-dimensional direction in a direction orthogonal to the line-of-sight direction, but faces the front of the display screen 50. You may change to

<Viewpoint position change control>
The contents of the “viewpoint position change response control” shown in FIG. 5 will be described below.

  In step S41, the microcomputer 111 monitors whether or not the change in the approach direction is detected by monitoring the time change of the viewpoint position EP in the Z direction or the X and Y directions for each instrument. If a change in the approach direction is detected, the process proceeds to S42, and if not detected, the process proceeds to S43.

  In step S <b> 42, the microcomputer 111 changes various parameters used when drawing the corresponding instrument on the display screen 50 to a standard state with emphasis on visibility, and redraws each instrument on the screen. For the standard state parameters, constants such as initial values determined in advance by the manufacturer may be used, or constants adjusted in advance according to user preferences may be used.

  As specific contents of the control of S42, when a three-dimensional instrument is drawn using the 3D drawing function, the orientation of the three-dimensional instrument is matched with the direction of the display screen 50, the inclination is set to zero, or the drawing is performed. It is assumed that visibility is improved by returning display elements such as shadows, gloss, and reflected light to an initial state where the influence is relatively small. Further, when the 3D drawing function cannot be used, it is assumed that the size, display position, character font, display color, and the like of the displayed instrument are fixed to a state where the visibility is maximized.

  In step S43, the microcomputer 111 monitors the time change of the viewpoint position EP in the Z direction or X, Y direction with respect to each instrument, and identifies whether or not a change in the direction of moving away has been detected. If a change in the direction of moving away is detected, the process proceeds to S44, and if not detected, this process ends.

  In step S44, the microcomputer 111 identifies whether or not the graphic controller 118 has a predetermined 3D drawing function. If the 3D drawing function is installed, the process proceeds to S45. If only the 2D drawing function is installed, the process proceeds to S46.

  In step S45, the microcomputer 111 rotates each corresponding instrument with respect to the central axis of the instrument in the three-dimensional virtual space while fixing the position. When a three-dimensional instrument is rotated on the spot, it changes so that a different part is displayed with the rotation. In addition, changes in shadow, luster, reflected light, etc. on the instrument appear with the rotation. Therefore, a change can be given so that the three-dimensional display state is temporarily emphasized.

  In step S46, the microcomputer 111 gives a plurality of types of changes such as enlargement, reduction, and movement to the two-dimensional model of each instrument at the same time, or changes them sequentially in time, and temporarily emphasizes them. Display the instrument in state. That is, by executing a combination of changes such as enlargement, reduction, and movement, the display state is changed so that an emphasis effect similar to the case of displaying a three-dimensional instrument can be obtained.

  Note that the processing shown in FIG. 5 can be executed independently for each instrument displayed on the display screen 50. Therefore, when a plurality of instruments are displayed simultaneously on the display screen 50 as shown in FIG. 1, the process (S42) when the viewpoint position approaches a specific instrument is executed, and another instrument is simultaneously displayed. On the other hand, the processing (S45, S46) when the viewpoint position moves away can also be executed.

<Description of operation example>
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an outline when the display screen 50 of the meter unit 100 is viewed from above, and shows a specific example of state transition of display contents in accordance with changes in viewpoint and line of sight. That is, by executing the control shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the states (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7) in FIG. It is possible to change each instrument 50a, 50b displayed on the display screen 50 with respect to the change in the viewpoint position and the line-of-sight direction.

  In the initial state shown as the state (1) in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the viewpoint position EP is at a position opposite to a substantially intermediate position between the two instruments 50 a and 50 b on the display screen 50. From this initial state, when the driver moves his / her head and moves the viewpoint position EP to the left side, the state becomes (2), and conversely, when the driver moves the viewpoint position EP to the right side, the state becomes (3). It is also possible to transition from the state (2) to each state (3), (4), (5), (6).

  When the state (1) in FIG. 7 transitions to the state (2), the microcomputer 111 detects a situation in which the viewpoint position EP has moved away from the right instrument 50b. Therefore, in the state (2) in FIG. 7, the attitude of the meter 50b displayed in three dimensions changes so as to rotate on the spot. In the example of FIG. 7, since the instrument 50b rotates in the clockwise direction when viewed from the top surface, the orientation of the instrument 50b changes so as to be further away from the viewpoint position EP, thereby enhancing the stereoscopic effect.

  On the other hand, when the state (1) in FIG. 7 changes to the state (7), the microcomputer 111 detects a situation in which the viewpoint position EP has moved away from the left instrument 50a. Accordingly, in the state (7) in FIG. 7, the attitude of the meter 50a displayed in a three-dimensional manner changes so as to rotate on the spot. In the example of FIG. 7, since the instrument 50a rotates in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from the top, the orientation of the instrument 50a changes so as to be further away from the viewpoint position EP and emphasizes the stereoscopic effect. .

  In the case of continuous transition from state (1) to state (2) and state (3) in FIG. 7, the relative positional relationship between the left instrument 50a and the viewpoint position EP approaches ((1) (Transition from (2) to), and (by transition from (2) to (3)) change further away.

  Then, as shown in the state (3) of FIG. 7, the stereoscopic image of the instrument 50a is rotated on the spot in a direction further away from the moving direction of the viewpoint position EP from the time when the viewpoint position EP passes the instrument 50a on the left side. Change the direction.

  Further, when the passing viewpoint position EP moves again in the direction approaching the instrument 50b as in the state (4) of FIG. 7, the orientation of the stereoscopic image of the instrument 50b is changed to the reference state (for example, the initial state: The drawing is redrawn after returning to the front side (see S42 in FIG. 5).

  Further, from the state in which the line-of-sight direction DD coincides with the left instrument 50a on the display screen 50 as in the state (4) in FIG. 7, the line-of-sight direction DD differs from the instrument 5b in the right side as in the state (5). When the line of sight is moved to the coincident state, the direction of the stereoscopic image of the right instrument 5b is rotated on the spot as in the state (5), and the instrument 5b is rotated in the direction perpendicular to the line of sight DD or on the display screen 50. Turn to the front. Thereby, the visibility of the instrument which a driver paid attention to can be improved.

  Further, the left instrument 50a in which the line-of-sight direction DD has passed (not noticed) as in the state (5) in FIG. 7 or the right instrument in which the line-of-sight direction DD has passed as in the state (6) in FIG. About 50b, the state is maintained, facing the front.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, both the control for the viewpoint position EP and the control for the line-of-sight direction DD are performed. In the control shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the control for the line-of-sight direction DD is given priority. Do. Therefore, the direction of the measuring instrument can always be directed to the front with respect to the direction of the line of sight.

<Supplementary explanation>
Here, the characteristics of the embodiment of the graphic meter device according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [6], respectively.
[1] A graphic meter device (meter unit 100) in which at least one meter (51, 52, 53, 54, etc.) is drawn on the display screen (50),
A user detection unit (on-vehicle camera 130) that detects one or both of the position of the viewpoint for viewing the display screen and the direction of the line of sight;
A display control unit (microcomputer 111) that controls a display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes according to a change in one or both of the position of the viewpoint and the direction of the line of sight detected by the user detection unit;
A graphic meter device comprising:
[2] The graphic meter device according to [1],
The display control unit controls the display state so that the instrument to be drawn on the display screen is changed in any one mode of enlargement, reduction, and movement, or a mode in which a plurality of modes are combined.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
[3] The graphic meter device according to [1],
The display control unit controls the display state so as to change in a manner of rotating an instrument drawn on the display screen around a predetermined axis.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
[4] The graphic meter device according to [1],
When the display control unit recognizes that one of the instruments is positioned on the line of sight detected by the user detection unit, the positional relationship in which the front of the instrument and the line of sight are orthogonal to each other Rotate the instrument so that
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
[5] The graphic meter device according to any one of [1] to [4],
When the display control unit recognizes that the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit is close to the display screen, the display control unit controls the display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.
[6] The graphic meter device according to any one of [1] to [4],
When the display control unit recognizes that the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit is away from the display screen, the display control unit controls the display state so that the instrument drawn on the display screen changes.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 Display screen 51 Speedometer 52 Tachometer 53 Fuel gauge 54 Water temperature meter 55 Turn L display part 56 Turn R display part 57 Odometer 58 Shift indicator 59a, 59b Warning display part 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 Decoration image 100 Meter unit 111 Microcomputer 112 CPU power supply 113, 114 I / O section 115 Interface 116 Non-volatile memory 118 Graphic controller 118a Frame memory 119 LCD power supply 121 Liquid crystal display 122 X driver 123 Y driver 130 Car-mounted camera 141 Driver's face 141a Eye 142 Steering wheel

Claims (4)

A graphic meter device in which at least one instrument is drawn on a display screen,
A user detection unit for detecting one or both of the position of the viewpoint for visually recognizing the display screen and the direction of the line of sight;
A display control unit for controlling a display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes according to a change in one or both of the position of the viewpoint detected by the user detection unit and the direction of the line of sight;
With
When the display control unit recognizes that one of the instruments is positioned on the line of sight detected by the user detection unit, the positional relationship in which the front of the instrument and the line of sight are orthogonal to each other so as to rotate the instrument to be drawn on the display screen with respect to the front of the display screen,
A graphic meter device characterized by that. The graphic meter device according to claim 1,
The display control unit controls the display state so that the instrument to be drawn on the display screen is changed in any one mode of enlargement, reduction, and movement, or a mode in which a plurality of modes are combined.
A graphic meter device characterized by that. The graphic meter device according to claim 1,
The display control unit controls the display state so as to change in a manner of rotating an instrument drawn on the display screen around a predetermined axis.
A graphic meter device characterized by that.   A graphic meter device in which at least one instrument is drawn on a display screen,
  A user detection unit for detecting one or both of the position of the viewpoint for visually recognizing the display screen and the direction of the line of sight;
  A display control unit that controls a display state so that an instrument drawn on the display screen changes according to a change in one or both of the position of the viewpoint and the direction of the line of sight detected by the user detection unit;
  With
  When the display control unit recognizes that one of the instruments is positioned on the line of sight detected by the user detection unit, the positional relationship in which the front of the instrument and the line of sight are orthogonal to each other Rotate the instrument to draw on the display screen relative to the front of the display screen,
  When the display control unit recognizes that the viewpoint position detected by the user detection unit is away from the instrument, the display screen displays the display screen in a direction away from the viewpoint position. Rotating the instrument to draw on the display screen relative to the front of
  A graphic meter device characterized by that.

Images